Luz em Mim (2021)

Had me in the first half

Story

The premise & plot of this drama is quite refreshing, but some plot points and scenes do get a bit cliché. It’s still fairly well executed though, so it’s not necessarily a bad thing (if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, right?). The love triangle aspect really managed to grip me and keep me interested, especially by the middle of the series (episode 8 or so), but after that, it became quite predictable and obvious to me that Shinwoo was going to be the endgame love interest. I don’t mind that at all since I never had much of a preference when it comes to who Taekyung ends up with (I just want everyone to be happy tbh) and I really was rooting for Shinwoo and Takeyung in the last few episodes. Although I still think that the love triangle was well-done and they managed to balance Taekyung’s scenes with Daon and with Shinwoo quite well, I wish they put a bit more romantic scenes with Shinwoo throughout the episodes because by the end, Taekyung’s decision still felt a bit rushed for me, like he moved on from Daon a bit too fast. Maybe this is because the passing of time can be a bit unclear sometimes, so I don’t really known how much time has passed in between some scenes/episodes.

Other aspects of the story that I like is Sohee’s redemption arc. I would’ve been bothered if they just made her the typical ‘mean girl who’s getting in the way of the couple’ like you see in most BL dramas, so it was nice to see that she got what she deserved for her actions and to also see her grow and become a better person after that. Shin Daon’s coming out storyline was also nicely done. It was very relatable and realistic, plus it’s always nice to see these dramas take on real issues instead of just glossing over them.

The rating of the story would be higher if episode 15 and 16 were better written and executed. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed them, but these two episodes felt odd to me in some places. There are a couple of things that I would’ve personally changed. For example, I think after Taekyung and Daon talked in the beginning of episode 15, it would’ve been nicer to see Shin Daon move on and get more personal scenes instead of romantic ones with Taekyung. Mostly because it’s already obvious that Taekyung likes Shinwoo (he even said it himself!) and so it was quite off-putting to see Taekyung and Daon still having that chemistry (like in the lipstick scene) when Taekyung is clearly not in love with him anymore (maybe he’s still in doubt? But I didn’t quite get that from what I saw). Regardless, the end of episode 15 was still a good cliffhanger.

Episode 16 was slightly disappointing for me. Yes, they managed to tie up the characters’ stories, but somethings still felt missing. I wish they went a little further with Namgung and Sohee, especially when they were carrying the baskets together. Like for Sohee to at least say something and acknowledge that Namgung’s has always been by her side before she goes to Daon or something like that. The fact that they suddenly focused on the teacher on the last episode also felt a bit weird. Yes, he was important in the beginning of the story, but his appearances were quite sporadic throughout and in my opinion wasn’t enough to justify making a chunk of the last episode about him (I wish they just built up the beach scene better instead). It became obvious to me that they were probably focused on him in the last episode because they wanted to do something with his storyline from the webtoon (and considering that last scene, they probably are), so they just had to put him in there somehow. That took me out of the flow of the story a bit, but it wasn’t that bad, it was still pretty wholesome.

Shinwoo and Taekyung were probably the best parts of the last episode, but when it comes to the other characters, I’m still left wanting for more. It would be nice to see a season two of this series where all the characters and their dynamics get explored deeper, so fingers crossed!

Acting

Cheo Chanyi’s performance as Shin Daon is definitely my favorite amongst the cast. I think he managed to portray Shin Daon’s personality and qualms perfectly. Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but he really was the heart of the story for me. I know he’s not the main character, but most of my favorite story elements revolved around him, like his family issues and also him coming to terms with his sexuality and identity.

The rest of the cast was great too. I can sometimes tell that they’re fairly new actors in their deliveries, but it wasn’t that distracting. In my opinion, Go Woojin as Namgung is an underrated performance that doesn’t get talked about enough. He did really well as the comic relief and I’m sure it’s not easy to keep up that energy all the time. His character was really the one who solidified the group’s friendship for me. Without his character and the great performance, this series would’ve been lacking.

Music

Not much to say here. It was nice and fit well with the tone of the series, but it wasn’t particularly memorable either.

Rewatch value

If I do rewatch this, it’ll probably just be some scenes that I particularly liked instead of the whole thing.

Overall

This drama was nice, but it felt inconsistent to me sometimes, especially in the last few episodes. There were ups and downs, but it was still a very enjoyable experience overall. If I liked the last two episodes more, the rating would probably be higher. If you like fluff and lighthearted dramas, this one’s for you!

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A Complete Waste of Time

If you're coming from watching any BLs that have actual story and good character and relationship development, you will be highly disappointed with this drama.
I was so excited to start watching this one because there was so much hype surrounding it, but it's truly one of the worst BL stories I've ever watched.
However, I didn't hate every part of it, so let me talk about what I liked before we get to the detriment of the story. The casting and OST are phenomenal for this series. I think Shinwoo and Taekyung look so cute together and are perfect for leads in this show. Namgoong is a fantastic character that adds a lot of interesting and funny parts to the story. Other than these points, however, there is not much good I can say about this show.
First off, the overall story is so. Incredibly. Boring. Literally nothing happens. It's just a high school love triangle story. I feel as though I'm slightly biased because I have quite a distaste for love triangles to begin with, but this one enraged me the most. Too much of the run time focuses on Taekyung's feelings for Daon, and it feels way too late for our main couple by the time it gets to them in the story. It feels kind of weird when they get together in the end because it feels like Taekyung just said "Well, the president won't confess how he really feels, might as well give Shinwoo a shot." I dunno. Something about it felt weird. Usually in BLs when there's a love triangle, it's pretty clear who is going to end up together, and the third piece of the triangle doesn't get that much screen time. It feels like the story wanted Taekyung to be with Daon, then changed its mind halfway through. I would've liked it more if Taekyung was denying his feelings for Shinwoo throughout the whole series, only to realize he's the only one to be with. Overall, it took me forever to get through this drama because it is literally so boring and the series is too long for the story it has. Not to mention the annoying female character who is always after Daon.
I never know why these BLs insist on having evil, obnoxious female characters, but she added truly nothing to the story, and was just a nuisance.
And then after getting through this whole series waiting for a big romantic ending, we get some quick, closed mouth, half-eye open K-drama kiss. I was incredibly disappointed. I literally felt like I had wasted my time.
If you enjoy stories that are very slow and don't have much plot to them, as well as a shallow love story, then you probably will enjoy this drama. If not, I'd stay away from this one. And of course if you don't like love triangle stories like myself, then avoid this one like the plague for sure.

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Cute, fun and well done, but fell flat with things

I have quite clear in my mind what I liked and what I didn't so here it goes .
I think I liked Da On's storyline the best. The character we get presented is super clear and well made, and that's followed by staying coherent in every decision he makes in the story, but my probably only complain is that I felt that he fell a little flat toward the end (he like, did almost nothing for 2-3 episodes) and it felt like it was on purpose to elevate a little the other relationship.
Shin Woo is also a great character, and made me angry, happy and also sad, he also made sense to me so I enjoyed watching him lots. I didn't love of him that the only explanation we get of him being mean to TK is that he's awkward and shy, didn't feel like enough.
Both this actors did amazing jobs with their characters and I loved to see that.
Tae Kyung is nice to follow, also very coherent and I love how direct he is with his thoughts, but it did feel like the character was a little flat, so I didn't get to develop a deep conexion with him (like I did with Da On), and added to that the acting wasn't that impressive so that's that.
I didn't feel romantic chemistry between TK and SW at all, they always gave me more of a friend's vibe, so I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending (even tho it made sense, so I'm thinking it's more a thing of the actors lacking that chemistry). I did feel chemistry between TK and DO so that's that.
Namgung was super fun and wise but didn't have much to offer so that was kinda sad.
So Hee was, imo, a badly made character, she's the only girl and she's the bad jealous not girlfriend, she doesn't offer anything good to the story, and she proceeds to do something awful (out someone) and then it's all fixed super cleanly and at the end they're all friends like it's nothing. It's depressing that she's the only female of the story.
The teacher was cute and fun and wise and his participation was enough and well thought. I'll be looking forward to a series for him! That ending got me excited.

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I really loved this show

No spoilers, just Expressions.
Definitely Best Korean BL Drama ever

This is a drama that is going to make you laugh, hate, love, cry, pity, surrender, hooked , disappointed and also leave you wanting more as there are five primary reasons this drama has skyrocketed to becoming my favourite of 2021.
To begin with I wasn't entirely impressed with the rating of the show being merely 8.4 to me it's a perfect 10 and we'll if you are definitely a BL Fan the way that I am trust me you'll love it very much.
Generally, BOYSLOVE has captivated the hearts of fans around the world moreso in Asia where it has become a commercial success in pop culture and Generally I wasn't much of a fan of Korean BL dramas given the fact that a number starting as web series were rather short I felt like I would appreciate more time to deeply understand the characters and the whole plot.
First Impression I was disappointed hearing 16 episodes each about 24 minutes long but when I immersed myself in the show I realised that somehow those 24 mins felt as long as an hour and I grasped at the emotions of the characters very well the story sunk in well written it's dialogues were something I don't plan on forgetting anytime soon.
Secondly, the distinction of the main leads is something that I really admire which makes the series uncliche when compared to most high school dramas and moreso BL dramas because this one allows you to explore different complex personalities that are harmonious as a whole.
Thirdly, this is the one drama I feel the storyline is original given the rarity of the characters and moreso Tae Kyeong plays my most favorite part that I really wish he'd win the Oscars, I found the drama flawless from the beginning kick-starting off with fire and suddenly halfway I couldn't help but get emotional and heartbroken that I cried as much as Tae Kyeong cried and I was so moved for three days I had to rewatch Episode 11 over and over again which is very rare because by the time I rewatch a series then just know I really appreciated it.
Forth, What I appreciate best about the drama is that every character is loveable, those that you hate you in the end grow to sympathize with and moreso when I think about how real this lovestory felt it quickly shifted up my charts for my favourite BL Drama ever outranking the Untamed and 2gether the series
This is one drama that pushes you to every extreme and every emotion so unexpectedly, something only three more dramas have attained in my life the first being The UNTAMED, KILLER AND HEALER and HIStory 3 Make Our Days Count. It made me cherish the weight of my tears and most importantly it taught me that even with heartbreak and disappointment, love remains something most wonderful and something to be thankful for.
It was a true testament of reality that I got to enjoy and I know that with 16 Episodes and the personally open ending, I can anticipate a next season and I'll cherish this story dearly forever and ever.

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it's just a regular school serie that's just fancy without anything that's make unique,

This review was written in English and Portuguese.
WE NEED OTHER SERIE WITH JUST NAMGOONG! the real star of the series!
I hope in the 2 temp they focus on Daon meeting other boy and how they will handle that with him parents.
C'mon let's be honest, the way the director of the series treated that girl was COWARD, but Daon knowing himself in the end was COOL. i think i won't ever watch another korean drama, if you really enjoy the way that they treat Daon you should rewatch, I really think Shinwoo and Tae are good together, they are weird and cute, but the story............. Let's move on with this.

I like the series but not too much, if you watch carefully you will see that they are missing a lot, the production, the story, the actors, the soundtrack. I will never watch this again.

i can't end this review without saying that i shipp more Tae and the teacher than Tae and shinwoo hahhahahahahahhaha
but anyway, it's just a regular school serie that's just fancy without anything that's make unique, but can make you happy...

Vamos ser honestos ne? Shinwoo e tae combinam, Daon rei da coreia, mas a verdadeira estrela da serie foi o Namgoong, principezinho sensato, carismatico e o maioral ne, mas no geral mesmo a serie é só mais uma de colegial que não tem nada que a deixe unica e boa de verdade, só uma grande enrolação com o final mais previsivel possivel, ost? nada memoravel, o personagem Tae em si é ruim, proxima temporada Daon com outro cara, namgoong e a menina juntos e é isso.

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The Best Korean BL I've ever seen hailing Shin Woo as the most loveable man on Earth right now

There’s too many words I’m thinking right now. I want to fully express all of my love from this drama and how deeply I became attached to it. No doubt that it’s probably one of the best show I’ve ever watched. It all started when I saw the d*ldo scene on Facebook, it made laugh that also lead me to started watching the show. The 16 episodes with 30 minutes’ duration is such a gift for us, knowing that previous Korean BL shows has shorter airing time than this one.

Super strong love triangle. I’ll never get tired of love triangle specially if the chemistry is super-duper great, this is really my cup of tea. I don’t even know who’s the main character anymore. A drama who really make it hard for the viewers to believed who will be the end game couple, it’s so confusing, there are times that I thought Da On will win and then Shin Woo step up to try to wins Taekyung heart.

Falling in love with Noh Shin Woo over and over again. Since episode 1, I already fallen to him. All throughout the whole show, I am too scared for Shin Woo, knowing that Taekyung and Daon have mutual feelings, but gratefully my boy still wins his heart at the end. The love and hate beginning of relationship always got me, as well as every single jealousy moment, both of them are so cute. I received too much butterflies for Shin Woo and Tae Kyung interactions.

Just like a biscuit soaked in milk, I am melting everytime I saw Shin Woo smiling. A must protect baby at all cost! The first time he smiled so dearly was during the “I love you game” and it was so beautiful to witness how he shines during that fluffy scene. Beside from being handsome and cute, Shin Woo is definitely the kind of man you wish to be with too. Obviously he’s my favorite character.

The flashbacks from episode 10 in which we witness the “love-at-first-sight effect” of Tae Kyung to Shin Woo is too much for my normal heart to handle. Omygosh! Those small yet memorable interactions that Shin Woo created just to get Tae Kyung’s attention is so damn cute. I kind of relate to him too, sometimes just being on the side of your crush is enough to make yourself happy. It is not easy to be courageous and straightforward honest as Tae Kyung, expressing your love to someone specially for the same sex as yours is very risky and scary. It takes too much bravery for someone to be ready for it.

Another Shin Woo trait that made him the best is that he is such a fair and kind-hearted man. He doesn’t take advantage of Tae Kyung and Da On cold war after the rumor behind a single photo began circulating at school. Perhaps, he comforted Shin Woo and be on his side during those gloomy days of his love. I am beyond proud that Shin Woo didn’t bad-mouthed Da On in front of Tae Kyung and he also pushes Da On to be real with Tae Kyung. He did all of these despite the fact that it is possible for Tae Kyung and Da On to reconcile and level up their relationship. When I said that Shin Woo is the best, he is indeed the best boy!

EP13 turns my whole body to act like worm, make me so happy that Shin Woo indirectly confesses to Tae Kyung. That karaoke is enough to make me fly high on heaven but then the ending was such a precious moment. During those sad times of Tae Kyung, Shin Woo never fails to show his concern for him by sending Tae Kyung a lot of short yet heartwarming messages. The confession scene is so fresh; I’ve never seen any dramas confesses like that. The text messages are really romantic, very romantic.

“Yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow. I will continue thinking about you.” Yes, I do memorize this and during this scene I literally scream so hard. He’s so handsome saying these lines, and his eyes shows how he really cares a lot for Tae Kyung. Mygosh, I want a Shin Woo too in my life!

They give us a Noh Shin Woo who can’t lie to his beloved Tae Kyung, who prepared so much efforts for their first unofficial date, who also apologizes for being late because he overslept for picking what to wear, who acts so innocent and cute, and someone who’s real happiness revolves around being on Tae Kyung side.

ROMANCE 1000000/10

Special mention for Nam Gung for being the best friend within the circle that defended his friends to those people who speaks so harsh to them, and a friend who supported you without a moment of hesitation. Superman Nam Gung brings comedy to the show too, he’s such a cutie. Da On is also a loveable character, I am so happy that he finally beginning to find his true self. Then So Hee proves that not all girl in a BL series is so bad. Even though she did something bad out of jealousy, she already pays for her price and the good thing is that she didn’t defend herself for the bad thing she did, thanks to Nam Gung advised.

Such a beautiful ending, and that kiss!!! Oh My SHIN WOO. I never knew your good on kissing hahahaha I love that part. Thank you so much LIGHT ON ME for bringing a huge amount of happiness in my life. I will never forget such an amazing and detailed story with an overwhelming amount of talented cast. Also, they give us the best execution of cliff-hanger ending, I always loudly say that “I CAN’T WAIT FOR ANOTHER EPISODE” and now that it already ends, "SECOND SEASON IS WARMLY WELCOME, PLEASE!"

“Unskilled feelings grow uncontrollably.” Favorite quote from my favorite Korean BL.

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A bright spot during a slow season!

I watched six different BLs during the summer of 2021. Four of them, at least for me, were extremely disappointing, but I watched anyway, due to the lack of content. Two of them were decent: Golden Blood (which was pretty good) and Light On Me, which was great. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

ACTORS. I really loved all the characters, and the actors played the roles sympathetically and with commitment. All the boys were eye candy. Even the girl who played Sohee (whose character I couldn't stand) played the part spectacularly. Loved Taekyung's quirky personality, possibly modeled on someone with autism (?). Shinwoo was (eventually) so sweet and adorable, Daon, as the other member of the love triangle, managed to be so likeable... and Namgeung was the best friend everybody wishes they had.

STORY. I'll admit, I wasn't sold on the series after Episodes 1 and 2, I felt that Shinwoo was too cold and mean. But I am so glad I kept with it. My favorite BL of the summer!

TWICE A WEEK. I liked the concept of having two episodes per week, it was nice not to have to wait an entire week for a new episode.

HOMOPHBIA ADDRESSED. Of course, a lot of LGBTQ+ shows address homophobia, which is great and so necessary. I liked the way Light One Me handled it, by not ignoring it (like some BLs where practically everyone is gay and homophobia doesn't exist), or veering into full-phledged drama (which can be fine... but this series wasn't the right place for it). Kudos!

CONS (not many!)

SOHEE'S REDEMPTION. I thought it was too fast. The girl had major stalker issues, which evolved into purposely hurting people. And then, just within days, she is cured. Sorry, no. After a year of therapy or, at least, major soul-searching, perhaps. But I'm very happy that she and Namgeung did not end up as a couple, because it looked like that's where the story was heading.

TAEKYUNG AND THE PRINCE CONTEST. He won? How?? Okay, he wore cute clothes. But he gets up there and totally freezes for three minutes and, when he finally does say something, he sounds like he's being held at gunpoint to spew out one sentence. Sorry, not buying it. Were each of the other contestants in a coma?? Or maybe their talent was strangling puppies...

Still, this was a really satisfying watch for me, 9.5.

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It's so bad that it would make a child cry

I have been fooled by the high rating on here but guys, I don't beg your pardon when I say: if you think this is good, you should definitely sort out your mind and maybe come back later.
I have watched (and dropped at episode 12 out of 16, because I couldn't take myself to waste even more time of my life watching something so mediocre) this drama last week and I'm still so angry at it, I had very high hopes at the beginning though they crashed all together on the harsh reality of poor acting and awful plotting.
I have to admit, the first three episodes were all right, I excused the main character lack of facial expressions in the name of his role: an antisocial loner out of choice. I liked the boy that I thought would end up being the love interest of our antisocial protagonist and I found his two friends quite okay. I was fully ready to nose dive in an enemies to lovers love story, I wanted the slow burn, even the misunderstandings, the late acknowledge of the main character or/and love interest feelings, but I witnessed how my expectations were brutally murdered by a very low budget and out of the blue love triangle.
Now, I'm not against love triangles per se, but this one was awful because the main character doesn't deserve one: he doesn't have any qualities nor flaws, he's just a very dysfunctional person, I don't get why a normal guy should take a liking (romantically or not) to him, so it's even more unrealistic that two good looking guys end up with a crush on him when he's nothing more then an item that follows them around.
Now, of course we're not looking for something realistic, but it should at least be credible in a way.
I liked the redhead boy, he's the only reason I endured the show for a few more episodes, but he can't take the whole drama on his shoulders.
Beyond the main character's actor lack of talent, another problem is the pace of the story: a lot of useless awkward scenes (background music exists to prevent shit like this to happen too) and too fast/too confusing feeling catching (ok, they are teenagers, I would have accepted it if the acting was better).
At the end, this review was all over the place, but I want to give you a very concise advise: unless you don't have anything better to watch, just do yourself a favor and don't waste your time on this drama.

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Best Korean BL series I've watched

I really love everything about Light on me, so far the best Korean BL series I've watched. The visuals, story, acting, and chemistry between the actors is just amazing. As of right now they've only released one OST "Spark" and I've been listening to it non-stop. Light on me is totally worth the watch, I can't wait for EP.10 to come out later ❤️

#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
#TEAMSHINWOO
ok lowkey #TEAMDAON as well (pls protect this boy) *cries*

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